Mr. & Mrs. Howard Furniture

Loving the High Point showroom of Mr. & Mrs. Howard's new furniture line for Sherrill. Here are a few of the rooms in the roughly 5,000 square foot showroom.  Enjoy!

All Images Courtesy of Mrs. Howard Personal Shopper.

Sybaritic Spaces: Meg Braff host's Phoebe Howard for a book signing

Had so much fun at Meg Braff in Locust Valley for Phoebe Howard book signing! Enjoy!

Sybaritic Spaces: Meg Braff host's Phoebe Howard for a book signing

Wire Brushed Oak

Enjoying a look I've seen more and more lately.  While I've seen wire brushed oak flooring around for awhile, I see the finish being used more and more on furnishings. Wire brushed oak finishes are oak treated with ammonia and wire-brushed to pull out the grain.  I've seen Phoebe Howard use this on several kitchens, including her own Hamptons kitchen and the Coastal Living kitchen and loved it. Phoebe referred to the finish that Andrew Howard used in the Coastal Living Idea House kitchen as fumed oak cabinets.  I've also been seeing this used on entertainment cabinets and loved the light, airy look.    Enjoy!

Designed by Ray Booth

mrs. howard is coming to town

What exciting news for those of us here on Long Island who are great admirers of the truly talented Phoebe Howard!  Phoebe will be signing her new book, The Joy of Decorating: Southern Style with Mrs. Howard at The Book Revue in Huntington Village in May.  Dates are being finalized and this will be Mrs. Howard's only signing here on Long Island.  Please R.S.V.P. to me if you are interested in reserving a copy of Mrs. Howard's book for that evening.  I'm so excited to be working with Leah Kennelly, who authors Mrs. Howard's blog, www.mrshowardpersonalshopper.com and can't wait to bring you a final date and details.  If you aren't familiar with Phoebe's work, please visit her website; www.phoebehoward.net. to enjoy the beauty of some of her and her husband's exquisite spaces.  Mr. James Howard is a talented designer in his own right, whom I've written about here several times and whose work I've seen in person, both in their Charlotte, NC store and in several Atlanta homes.  I am so excited! Can you tell!?  Mark your calendars to join us here in Huntington as we welcome Mrs. Howard.  Enjoy!

Mrs. Howard Meets Lilly...in my humble opinion!

I love how the truly talented, San Francisco Designer Palmer Weiss uses color in the most friendly & stylish of ways! I kept thinking while I was looking through her portfolio, she combines the elegance of a room done by Phoebe Howard with the vivid colors of a great Lilly Pulitzer design! and Voila! C'est Palmer Weiss! What absolute fun, and of course how very stylish and elegant! Take a peek and enjoy! This family room is one of my favorites as it incorporates everything I think a family room should; to include a tv, family photos, books scattered throughout, and blankets to cozy up with on all the great seating. Love it!

Mrs. Howard Brings a Gem to Charlotte

I was fortunate enough to fly down to Charlotte, NC yesterday to attend the grand opening of the Howard's newest store location, Mrs. Howard and max & company. WOW (for lack of a better, more accurate phrase)! It was everything I expected and more. I have to admit, first and foremost though, that I spent more time looking up at the beautiful millwork, mouldings, palladian windows and amazing wall coverings and flooring than I did anything else. I could not get enough of the pagoda style moulding above the door in one of the bedroom areas, the dentil moulding with the full 3d balls (yes, I know "spheres" is a more technical term, but they looked like little playing balls! So cool!) in the foyer area, and what appeared to be plasterwork moulding in another area -- truly amazing and so unique. The Howards and their team divided up the old Charlotte Women's Club, under the careful eye of Mr. Howard, into separate rooms of design with amazing limestone on the foyer walls and a floor mosiac upon entering that takes your breath away - almost too beautiful to walk on. Mrs. Howard's designs were, as always, perfection. Every choice of trim, fabric, piece of artwork, down to the tortoise shells on the tables was perfect. I even found that all of the items, which were marked with very small and tastefully done tags, very well priced. If it hadn't been so crowded, I would have jotted down a few item numbers of the artwork that I fell in love with and wanted to take home! It was an amazing experience overall and one which I did not regret flying down and returning the same day to attend. Congratulations to the Howards and their team for doing such a beautiful job in bringing a true gem to Charlotte and I wish them huge success with this endeavour and all others! Brava!
Now, to book that flight to the 2009 Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles Christmas House!

photo courtesy of Mrs. Howard Personal Shopper.com

I'm Goin' to See Phoebe...

Well, at least the opening of her beautiful new Charlotte, NC store. I booked my ticket for August 6th (going down and coming back the same day) and am sooooo excited! I am just as excited to see the new spaces, and possibly meet Mr. & Mrs. Howard, as I am about all the new people I hope to meet! I hope all my fellow bloggers, who I read religiously and adore, will be there! I feel like it's Christmas and my birthday all in one! Whee!

'Pretty' By Phoebe Howard

"Pretty, by definition, is something that attracts with delicacy and grace.
Pretty is not imposing or formidable, not handsome or stunning. It is neat and elegant without elevation or grandeur. It is attractive but not grandly conceived.
Pretty is the term I use most often use when describing my style of decorating.
When creating pretty rooms, I feel that a classic, timeless quality emerges. My goal is for the rooms to entice and enchant guests upon entering, with the eye not drawn to any one thing in particular."

Thank you to 'Things That Inspire' for posting this on your blog in celebration of your two year blogiversary! Congratulations!

Tableuxs & Tablescapes

Where does the line get drawn between simply piling things onto a surface or actually being able to create a fabulous tableux or when entertaining, a tablescape? I admire those who can create an arrangement of items on a chest or table that looks effortlessly arranged or collected.....but, abhore those who pile endless amounts of stuff onto a surface in the hopes that it looks ......hmmm, well 'nice.' As Steven Parissien says in his recent book, Interiors: The Home Since 1700, 'True clutter is very different from those artfully arranged tablescapes ... aimed to give an instant lived-in look.' That's what I think I try to achieve when creating a tableux, that "lived-in look" with an arrangement of items loved, collected, and memory provoking. I tend to lean more towards the sparser arrangements of things loved and collected; especially in the summer months when dust seems to collect more heavily like on the entrance table above (forgive the poor photography, it looks much nicer in person.) I like being able to focus on the objects d'art themselves as opposed to seeing books piled up in stacks with objects on top of them, making the literature completely useless as you are too afraid to move the objects on top to actually read the books! Don't get me wrong, in a library, stacks of books on a central table are good -- as long as the reader doesn't have to wade through chotchkas on top to get to the books. I love old tea boxes or antique wooden boxes in general, but on a larger space, struggle to put something so low next to something higher, like a lamp for example without stacking them on top of each other. Well, hopefully as I see more and develop more - perfecting the tableux will come to me! Until then, there are great books out there and tons of websites, of course, to browse through for inspiration! Happy tablescaping! For some amazing ideas, see Phillip Sides Interior Design in Alabama (http://www.phillipsidesinteriordesign.com/PSIDDefault.html). He has some beautiful tablescapes using very calming colors, like the first image below. And, of course, if you want to see more perfect tablescapes, please check out Phoebe Howard's creations at http://www.mrshowardpersonalshopper.com/mrs_howard_personal_shopp/page/2/ - perfection in every image.  I've included several of her tableuxs below, along with my favorite etagere with an artful arrangement of items by Phoebe and her team.  Enjoy!

My Obsession With Mr. & Mrs. Howard

Never before have I been able to look at a designer's portfolio and honestly been able to say that I LOVE EVERYTHING they have done! Every room setting, arrangement, fabric, flower/accessory choice, light fixture, rug, piece of art simply screams at me when I visit Mrs. Howard Personal Shopper or the Howard's interior design websites. While I love color, bright and vivid, I think I appreciate the calm and serenity of creams, neutrals, and soft beach hues and Mrs. Howard and Max and Company have proven that to me with each and every image posted between their websites and blog. You must visit and I am hoping to visit in person at the end of the month on a trip to Florida. If not then, I might just grab a girlfriend and fly down to their Charlotte store when it opens! I simply must have a sunburst mirror above my bed! Give yourself at least an hour to appreciate all the beautiful images on their websites -- the craftsmanship of the millwork and carpentry at James Howard's website is mind blowing! Above is just an example. Enjoy!